Skip Bayless on LeBron vs. Carmelo

I just heard Skip Bayless on 1& 10 rant on and on about how 'Melo is sooooo much better than LeBron then everyone else on the show agreed with him. I am a huge Carmelo fan and a Knicks fan but I am also a "Realest". LeBron is better than Carmelo in everyway except in Scoring. LeBron scores more but Melo has more ways to score. Melo has a better midrange game, better low post moves, better finesse moves to clear space, better moves with one or two dribbles, they are probably about equal at "muscling" people and with 3's. Also 'Melo is ready and willing to take big shots in a game.
Otherwise LeBron is a better at rebounding, assists, defense, court-vision, morale boosting, a better all round player.
so if you had the choice to pick a Franchise player who would you pick LeBron or Carmelo?

I think from a team stand point Melo fits better because he can operate from so many positions on the floor (wing, post, high post, top of key, corner) as oppose to Lebron who has to have the ball and has to operate from the wing or top of key even tho Lebron has tried the post game he has a long way to go. I'm interested to see how Lebron plays when he loses his speed and bounce will he have the skills to play at a high level.

I really do not know if I could find a way to win with LeBron. Do you play him at the PG position or let him be a SF who controls the ball? Melo was my favorite player coming out of the 2003 draft and I do believe that he is good enough to be the best player on a championship team.

He is skillful I guess but most of his game is about being bigger, stronger, and faster than people. Every night he drives the lane and basically dares people to get in the way of the LBJ Train to dunkville lol. He does not have moves like Kobe, Carmelo, Pierce, etc

I'm only taking Lebron if he's willing to be my starting PG. I know he creates mismatches at the other positions, but he creates the biggest at PG and I think he's at his best there when he's looking to create rather than bulldoze players and try to score. There really is no skill to his game besides his passing ability. He's just more physically gifted than other players. Carmelo Anthony really is someone you can build around once you motivate him to play defense and he's sees that he has a chance of winning. That's why that Nuggets team was so close to beating L.A that year. Carmelo saw an opening. Take away a few bad passes that led to Trevor Ariza steals and the Nuggest would have been in the Finals that year.

I agree with WizardofOz, it's well documented that Skip Bayless dislikes LeBron. But Carmelo is much harder to guard, many top defenders have said Melo is the toughest to guard, because he's soo strong and quick, Carmelo is much stronger then LeBron, Melo knows how to use his body effectively in a number of ways. I don't think Melo is as quick or quicker then LeBron (especially in the fullcourt) but he's quick enough to blow by bigger and stronger defenders.

LeBron isn't really a typical 'Small Foward' which gives him that x-factor, because you can build your team unconventionally around him but i'm not sure he can successfully co-exist with another number one, he needs to be the star. Because of LeBron's vast, and unique talent, he gets the edge over Carmelo. But, Carmelo is everything you want in a Small Forward. I still think LeBron is the best player in the NBA but Carmelo is a purer Small Foward.

He was the only one hating on LeBron for years and it paid off big when every one turned against Lebron when he went to Miami. So he's gotta continue dissing him, i think if he was honest off camera he'd take Lebron over Carmello any day

Give me Melo over 3qtr James. Listen Melo could do the same things as Lefold if he dribbled the ball 95% of the game. He is a better natural rebounder. Lechokes stats are inflated by the fact that he has the ball 95% of the time. Now Mel's rookie season they were 42-40 playoff birth first since Mutombo. Season prior 17-65. Case closed he made that franchise and everyone on it better. During Lefolds they were terrible and Lefold had an edge in one category assists. Melo 21/6/3 42 wins/playoffs. Lechoke 20/5/5 25 wins/ lottery. Melo has 10,000 moves. Lechoke is all power. He is nothing but a streak jumpshooter. Give me Melo to win games. Lefold will sell tickets and make sportscenter. Give me heart over talent anyday

Lebron is good at so many things it is unbelievable, but he gets these things done with pure athletisism, and I dont think he has any truely great facets of his game other then playmaking for his size. Melo is good at many things and is a great scorer. I would personaly rather have that elite triple threat scorer on my team then the Dwight Howard type big, or elite PG, or point forward superstar like Lebron. Just my own opinion but I feel like in an iso situation thats where I would want the ball, and thats what it all comes down too.

I guess your just retarded. Im a kobe fan and im not even pigheaded enough to call lebron james lechoke. Lebron is one of the best players in the league in the fourth quarter because when lebron really wants to score he does and theres nothing anyone can do about it. you say melo wins games but lebron won more games last season in cleaveland with a inconsistent team backing him up then melo with a fairly talented team and with a great point guard in chauncey billups. Lebron has more heart than melo because lebron actually plays defense. Lebron does what is necessary for his team to win melo only does what he thinks makes him one of the best palyers in the league which is score. melo is a more talented player than lebron. Melo is more offensively gifted by far. Lebron worked on his athleticism to become as dominant as he is. You arent just born able to run as fast lebron does or able to dunk like he does. He gets that from WORK ETHIC something melo dosent have. If melo did have that work ethic he would easily be the best player in the NBA but he dosent which is why he will never be as good as lebron

Is the Melo/LeBron debate really still relevant? Both players are very talented, and from a scoring standpoint I would give the slight edge to Melo, even though in the open floor LeBron is the best scorer in the game. LeBron is a better passer and rebounder. He actually cares on the defensive end, when it's obvious that Carmelo doesn't play any defense at all. LeBron is a much better on and off the ball defender.

For those who say LeBron doesn't have a set position, doesn't that make him that much better that he can play point guard, play on the wing and in recent games has played power forward more and more, and played it very effectively.

Finally, diehardhoops: I appreciate your knowledge of the 2003-2004 season. Yes, Carmelo got to the playoffs and LeBron didn't. Yes, Carmelo averaged more points and rebounds than LeBron in their rookie seasons. It appears as if that season alone is all you are basing your argument on. You must've forgot that LeBron has since won two MVP's, made one finals appearance where he carried a terribly crappy Cavs team on his back past a much better Pistons team, including the 48 point game in Detroit where he scored 29 of their last 30 points. And nobody can convince me that the Cavs of 07 were a good team. Eric Snow, Sasha Pavlovic, Drew Gooden and Zydrunas Ilgauskas is worse than any starting five Carmelo Anthony has EVER had. Not to mention, LeBron's last two seasons in Cleveland they had back to back 60 win seasons. I'll be the first to admit that LeBron did not play well in the Boston series last year, but it doesn't help when the Cavs second and third best players are proven pant-crappers Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison. If that isn't enough for you, LeBron's playoff averages (when games really matter) are 29 pts, 8 reb, 7 ast. Carmelo's are 24 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast.